The Pity of self declared advanced dancers ( An article & Review)

Do you know what is your level at zouk class? You assume you are advanced dancer? Did teacher tell you so? Unfortunately, teachers do not classify their students as it sometime upset students and therefore students have to decide which level of class they participate.

As mentioned previously, I was going to take lessons of a leading role at Improver level again. After a delayed arrival of 40 minutes due to a tube strike, I met Pedro who was teaching a class for advance students. The class focused on airplain movements, which I had always wanted to improve on and thus it captured my attention. Having missed constructive zouk lessons, cheekily skipping beginner and Improver levels apart from a few lessons when I started to learn zouk, it was obvious why I still had problems with a few basic moves and sometimes had to pay the price.

Last week, Gareth taught us how to headroll properly, and I found his lesson so useful and helpful.Later that same day, Mr A, who used to tell me that I must relax and need to feel the dance with my heart, recognised a change instantly and was amazed. He exclaimed, "What on earth happened to you?! You've changed!" Thank you Gareth, my headrolling is getting much better after only one lesson! It was evident that I was controlling my head too much and I needed to learn how to just let it go. Gareth also passionately corrected me about my arm and framework, which no other teacher had ever pointed out before. Although it was group lesson of about 10 zouk dancers, he paid attention to each of us.

Today was the first time Pedro taught me zouk. He was good. It was great- he explained everything from how our body alignment should move to showing us how to contract and roll up. He emphasised that the postioning of our body is so important and that there was a specific technique of standing up right; he showed us this correct posture step by step, whilst additionally explaining the right way to protect our backs.He also taught us women to toe all the time both when head rolling and turning around in the leader's arms. He also demonstrated how to open up your chest when headrolling. This was particularly useful to me as I have a bad habit of straightening my legs and arms, which he did point out! It felt almost like a private lesson, and I found it extremely valuable- more than any other workshop I have attended, which include those taught by top international instructors. This was down to the fact that he managed to pay attention to the smallest detail, which was a breath of fresh air as many instructors tend to focus on teaching steps regardless of individuals' ranging levels. Sometimes they do point out mistakes, but a full explanation of the correct is rarely given. However, this is understandable as group lessons often don't allow sufficient time for it.

Normally zouk lessons do not cost much more than the party. I am so surprised that so many people stop coming to class once they feel they have become an advanced dancer, and I think this is a shame. They don't realise that they actually stop improving when they stop learning. Even top international dancers attend classes to learn and improve. Believe it or not, I have never skipped classes before a party! From what I see, this attitude is rather rare. If I had to choose between a party or a workshop, I would always choose a workshop! However, I know I am in the minority. But I really believe we all have to keep learning, regardless of our level. 95% of dancers who only come to parties tend to do the same steps or movements with a limited variety of skills; they aren't aware that outdated classic moves are those that secretly bore ladies who attend classes. To create various moves that fit with specific music, one needs to be aware of hundreds of movements. There is no doubt that this would take at least five years of learning zouk twice a week. In my opinion, this attitude is particulary important to leaders. They say they learn watching various videos. Watching videos is a useful tool but fails to correct your movements and is not enough for sufficient practice on its alone. Yes, sometimes people will adore you, with praising words like "You are a great dancer", or "You dance like a professional". Yet, true dancers are the ones who will never be satisfied with current skills and will be motivated to continue to learn endlessly.Oddly enough, as much I love social dancing on the dance floor, I also love the learning process of dancing. I hope quality of teaching standards keep on improving here in UK.

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